Order: Procellariiformes Family: Hydrobatidae Status: Breeding in Madeira
Zino’s Petrel Pelagic Expedition
Small marine bird, though medium size for a storm-petrel, with long legs that project feet well beyond the tail and broad, paddle shaped wings.
The White-faced undersides are white with dark outlined underwings. The bird’s face is also light coloured with a dark mask through the eye. Its upperparts are dark grey with a lighter ‘U’ shaped rump.
Its peculiar flight in which it appears to “bounce” from side to side over the sea surface with the wings open is a good key to identify this seabird. It is normally seen alone near Madeira though near its breeding colony in Selvagens islands it groups in small flocks.
The North Atlantic White-faced Storm Petrel is a pelagic bird with the sub-species Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca breeding in Madeira and Canary archipelagos while in Cape Verde occurs the subspecies Pelagodroma marina eadesi. In Madeira archipelago the bird nests only on the Selvagens islands where it can be easily seen at sea, close to shore between February and early August while in the waters around Madeira island it is normally attracted to chum on offshore trips.
There are no similar storm petrel species in the North Atlantic with so much white on it.
Wingspan: 420 - 430 mm (Flood & Ashley, 2011)
Total length: 180 - 210 mm (Flood & Ashley, 2011)
Weight: 40 - 60 g (Flood & Ashley, 2011)
Seasonality in Madeira: Observed in pelagic trips around Madeira between April and early August
Breeding: Both parents excavate the deep nest in sandy ground. On the Selvagens islands, the nests are protected by two types of plant of the species Mesembryanthenum cristallinum and Mesembryanthenum nodiflorum. The roots of these plants hold up the nest tunnel accesses. A single egg is laid at the end of March and the chick hatches in May. Eight to ten weeks later the young bird is already flying.
Diet:
It feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans and small fish, but will also feed on some squid (Birdlife International, 2013)
Madeira local status by Correia-Fagundes et al, 2021: Common breeding bird (in Selvagens)
Madeira local status by Romano et al, 2010: Common breeding bird (in Selvagens)
Madeira local status by Zino et al, 1995: Very common breeding bird (in Selvagens)
Conservation status by the IUCN Red List Categories, 2013: Least Concern ver 3.1
Portuguese: Calcamar, Painho-de-ventre-branco
German: Weißgesicht-Sturmschwalbe
Dutch: Bont Stormvogeltje
Swedish: Fregattstormsvala
Danish: Fregatstormsvale
Finish: Ulappakeiju
Norwegian: Fregattstormsvale
Spanish: Paíño Pechialbo
French: Océanite frégate
Italian: Uccello delle tempeste fregata
Polish: Oceannik bialobrewy
Slovak: Búrkozvest morský
Czech: Buřňáček běločelý
English synonyms: Jesus bird, Frigate Petrel
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